BANGKOK TOURNAMENT RECAP: DAY 2

Saturday night I was able to get a good night's rest. I had originally planned to compete both days and had paid the full fee but after the first day, I decided to drop out of the no-gi to help run the brackets from the main desk to each mat. I was the obnoxious voice on the mic all of Sunday if you noticed, haha. I was feeling a little beat-up but have received worse so it was more to aid the event than anything else.

Got to the event space a little later but came in to help collect fees and do the weigh ins. The group competing this day was a bit different as the mass of white-belts from the first day were not here and in their place was MMA Phuket with the largest competing team for no-gi. Their team being large enough (26+? guys) to cover all divisions: novice, advanced and elite. A few other teams that may not have been there for the gi but showed up for no-gi were Fairtex Pattaya, Extreme Australia, and Legacy Gym. The weights also seemed to fill up in the heavier categories too which was nice to see. Things got going relatively on time and much smoother than the day before. The rules meeting was conducted by Mark Simmerman and Ray Elbe without the aid of the mic cause it kept cutting-out, haha. The rules used were from ADCC which took a little getting used to + the scoring being a tad different than the gi. In 6 minutes matches, the first 3 minutes would have no points counted but would include negative points if an opponent pulled guard. By the end of the meeting everyone was on the same page so it looked to be a good day ahead of us.

We started with the novice division, 6 minutes matches and a lot of them ended quite quickly with submissions but as we got to the advanced divisions, the pace changed. Perhaps due to the no-points in the first 3 minutes, most played it a bit safe, waiting to score on points than fight for the submission which is what the rules had intended to push for. I didn't have much time to watch any of the novice or most of the advanced cause I was too busy running around getting fights set up, and updating the bracket-team. Which by the way deserves another thank you (Nid, Anjuna, Joel and Louisa). But as these two major divisions started finishing up, I got some time to watch the elite and take pictures. Philip Yeomans, Dimitrios Tsitos, Tony Eduardo, Christopher Hermanstad were again standouts and put on some great matches. I would also add to this list, Malik Mawlayi, Alex Berazovik, Jon Jones, Johnny Garcia and Carlos Bergante.

Carlos Bergante vs. Alex Berazovik (Elite under 75K)


There was a triangle of matches between Tony Eduardo, Dimitrios Tsitos and Philip Yeomans in both the weight + absolutes. With Tony taking the gold over Philip in the weight and then matched up again as Philip beat Dimitrios, bringing him to the finals with Tony. On both occassions Tony was able to secure the win but I'll tell you, it didn't look easy. And while guys like Christopher and Alex showed great command of technique, figures like Malik were just a physical force that was extremely hard to keep down.

The 2nd day was also schedule to hold 4 exhibition MMA matches with particpants both local and foreign. The matches were reffed by Yohan and judged by Ole Laursen, Malik Mawlayi and Adam Shahir Kayoom. If memory serves me, it went down like this:

Ezra(Thai) vs Winai (Thai)
-Ezra has been training at EMAC for a few months now and had another ammateur fight at KOF just a month or so prior. This fight went to the ground rather quickly and Ezra was able to secure the mount for some ground and pound. The match was stopped by the ref since Winai was not making any attempt to strike back or improve his position. Ezra by TKO.

? (Singapore) vs. ? (Thai)
- I apologize I do not remember the names but this was another quick end as the Thai opponent did not seem familiar with grappling or jiu-jitsu. A few strikes were exchanged before going to the ground. The Thai opponent turtled, giving his back and was submitted by RNC. Singaporean-guy by RNC

Ngoo (MMA Phuket) vs. Xavier (ASB)
-Ngoo probably had the biggest support group their, coming from MMA Phuket but that's what teams are for. With Ngoo being Thai, the crowd always love a match up of East vs. West. The first round, there was a healthy exchange but each opponent took their time feeling each other out. Ngoo was able to land some steady Muay Thai kicks to the Xavier's legs, getting the crowd amped up. Xavier returned with a solid cross to Ngoo, landing right in the face but he shrugged it off, taunting Xavier to do it again. I think we have anothe crowd pleaser here, haha. Each consecutive round was more of the same with it going to the ground but not much in the way of jiu-jitsu/grappling. Mostly hugging for the defense before things got stood up again. This fight went the distance for all 3 rounds with Ngoo taking the win by decision. Ngoo by decision.

Ryan Melchiano (Shanghai BJJ) vs. Mike Hutchison (MMA Phuket)
-The final and probably the most anticipated fight of the night between Ryan and Mike, both from the US but training and representing clubs in Asia. Ryan would be corned by Tony Eduardo and Mike by Ray Elbe.

Immediately from the first round each fighter took their shots with Mike coming in with a solid leg kick and Ryan returning with some serious haymakers, several of which connecting in the first round. Since there were no ropes or cage, the fight often went out of bounds and had to be returned to the center of the mat. Had their been some kind of barrier, I'm sure we would have seen more damage take place for both fighters as many times an opponenent is kept pinned and unable to escape/defend. The 2nd round was more the same with Ryan pressing the fight with punches to the head, pushing Mike off the mat several times over. Mike was able to return with punches and kicks of his own, taking it to the ground before a scramble brought them back up. The fight pressed on to the 3rd round with the same pressure coming from Ryan. Roughly a minute in, Ryan was able pressure Mike with more shots, pushing him to the edge of the mat with punches and Mike unable to return. Ryan Melchiano by TKO

The crowd went nuts and I would say the final match between Ryan and Mike has me convinced I will probably never enter an MMA match myself, hahaha. These guys fought hard and both should be very proud. Ryan having a great weekend as he won his division in the gi, taking the MMA fight with a busted hand and winning by TKO and to top it off, was promoted to purple-belt by Tony Eduardo, a long time friend and instructor. We're also very grateful for Mike, taking this fight as he was a replacement for Chad Hamzeh of the same team, having suffered a toe injury while training.

IN CLOSING:

This was our first tournament organized by members of both Executive Martial Arts Center (EMAC) and Bangkok Fight Club (BFC) for the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Association of Thailand (BJJAT). Some key people involved in the success of this event are: Mark 'Vesuvius' Simmerman, Niti Techottiasnee, Luke Chaya, Sebastien Desvignes, Tomi Hashimoto, Taichi Takano, Chris Bagguley, Alex Berozovik, Mikko (Aggression) and our teammates here in Bangkok.

I would also like to thank all the referees that volunteered their time: Morgan Perkins, Taki, Aramaki-san, Adam (HK), Yohan, Sean Lynch, Offer, Alex Berozovik, Mark Simmerman. You guys worked all day, some without eating much else than a single banana and a bottle of green tea. Thanks guys for standing up and taking up the thankless job that is 'the referee'.

And to our sponsors: FBT sports,Samitivej Hospital, Elefin Coffee, Fairtex, Aggression, True Fitness, Hard Times Pub, Torajiro Japanese Restaurant, American School of Bangkok (ASB) and Zendokai Karate School

And all the teams that competed and supported our event, THANK YOU!!!

ALIVE JIU-JITSU (SHANGHAI)

ALIVE JIU-JITSU (SINGAPORE)

ASB MMA (THAILAND)

AXIS JIU-JITSU (JAPAN)

KREATION BJJ (SINGAPORE)

BANGKOK BJJ (THAILAND)

BANGKOK FIGHT CLUB (THAILAND)

BJJ BORNEO (MALAYSIA)

EMAC (THAILAND)

EXTREME AUSTRALIA (AUSTRALIA)

FAIRTEX PATTAYA (THAILAND)

KDTA (MALAYSIA)

KOWLOON BJJ (HONG KONG)

KYLIN BJJ (HONG KONG)

LEGACY GYM (THAILAND)

MMA PHUKET (THAILAND)

NEWBREED (PHILIPPINES)

RALPH GRACIE (USA)

REZA MARTIAL ARTS CENTER (BAHRAIN)

ROMERIKE BJJ

SHANGHAI BJJ (CHINA)

SYNERGY JIU-JITSU (INDONESIA)

TAIWAN BJJ (TAIWAN)

BANGKOK TOURNAMENT RESULTS: GI

FBT THAILAND BJJ/SUB-GRAPPLING OPEN
SEPT. 27, 2008

White Belt under 60 KG (Woman)
Gold- Melvynna Tambunan
Silver- Fern Borriboon
Bronze- Elizabeth Law

White Belt under 64 KG
Gold- Simon Rogg
Silver- Yasuo Okochi
Bronze- Paolo Tuason

White Belt under 70 KG
Gold- Kentaroh Kobayashi
Silver- Thanapat Luangrungruang

White Belt under 80 KG
Gold- James Baldwin
Silver- Caden Rezek
Bronze- Alexander Winters

White Belt under 90 KG
Gold- Robert Kaffash
Silver- Peattapol Sea-Lim
Bronze- John Oliver

White Belt over 100 KG
Gold- John Brennan
Silver- Niclas Bergman
Bronze- Benjamin Liu

Blue Belt under 64 KG
Gold- Yashi Murase
Silver- Paul Jahn
Bronze- Tadatomi Hashimoto

Blue Belt under 70 KG
Gold- Albert Lim
Silver- Shigeharu Ozaki
Bronze- Momon Fortich

Blue Belt under 80 KG
Gold- Ryan Melchiano
Silver- Mark Simmerman
Bronze- Josh Fridgen
Bronze- Ofer Lidar

Blue Belt under 100 KG
Gold- Luke Chaya
Silver- Matthew Jones
Bronze- Sebastien Desvignes

Purple Belt under 70 KG
Gold- Alex Berezovik
Silver- Seena Monfaradi
Bronze- Jonsson Patrick

Purple Belt under 80 KG
Gold- Carlos Bergante
Silver- Ralf Carneborn

Purple Belt under 90 KG
Gold- Dimitrios Tsitos
Silver- Mohammed Mirza
Bronze- Hesham Noor

Brown Belt under 80 KG
Gold- Keisuke Takizawa
Silver- Christopher Hermanstad
Bronze- Kiyoyuki Matsui

Brown Belt over 80 KG
Gold- Philip Yeomans
Silver- Adam Santi

Black Belt Under 70 KG
Gold- Aramaki Makoto
Silver- Reza Monfaradi

Gi-Master Class
Master White Belt
Gold- Niclass Bergman
Silver- Robbert Kaffash
Bronze- Dayton Kannon

Master Blue and Purple Belts
Gold- Seena Monfaradi
Silver- Mohammed Mirza
Bronze- Mark Simmerman

Gi Absolute class
White Belt Absolute
Gold- Niclass Bergman
Silver- John Oliver
Bronze- Lee Brown

Blue Belt Absolute
Gold- Matthew Jones
Silver- Sebastien Desvignes
Bronze- Yoichi Murase

Purple Belt Absolute
Gold- Dimitrios Tsitos
Silver- Mohammed Mirza
Bronze- Carlos Berganti

Brown Belt Absolute
Gold- Philip Yeomans
Silver- Christopher Hermanstad
Bronze- Keisuke Takizawa

Black Belt Absolute
Gold- Tony Eduardo
Silver- Reza Monfaridi
Bronze- Aramaki Makoto

TEAM:
1. BKK BJJ
2. MMA Phuket
3. Reza's Martial Arts Center

BANGKOK TOURNAMENT: GI PICS

Here are the pics that survived my computer before iphoto crashed Sunday morning. Even so, I think I got a healthy amount of images that you're welcome to use, just be sure to give BJJ-ASIA the credit. Thanks, Luke

LINK: DAY 1: GI

Makoto Aramaki vs. Reza Monfaradi

Tony Eduardo vs. Makoto Aramaki

Dimitrios Tsitos going for the armbar from triangle

Philip Yeomans attacking the foot

Tony & Reza

BANGKOK TOURNAMENT: VIDEOS

Dimitrios Tsitos vs. ? (Bahrain Team)
PURPLE OPEN


Carlos Bergante vs. ?
PURPLE 80K


Carlos Bergante vs. ?
PURPLE 80K

Carlos Bergante vs. ? (Bahrain Team)
PURPLE 80K BRONZE MEDAL FIGHT

BANGKOK TOURNAMENT MEDALS

Just thought we'd share with you an example of the medals that were given out this past weekend. They measure 10cm in diameter and are pretty hefty in weight. -Luke

BANGKOK TOURNAMENT RECAP: DAY 1

The week leading up to the tournament was quite hectic as my training schedule was thrown off by visiting customers and my sister moving to Bangkok from Singapore. So with multiple groups to juggle, my training got a little watered-down the last week but I believe I had put in the time beforehand and wasn't too worried. The last two days was just messy cause it was the last scramble to get this and that in prep for the evening setup on Friday. While we rented the mats for the competition area, we also had mats laid out in a private room for the teams to rest and warm up in. these mats were lent to us by the American School of Bangkok and the Zendokai Karate school. Thank you to both locations for their support in lending us the extra mats. So Friday night was relatively easy and the brackets were being setup that night as well.

I did not sleep. Before any competition I get a little antsy but it's good to feel that without letting it get the better of you but on this occasion we were responsible for more than just competing. Waking up before my alarm went off I got myself going with packing my gi and camera for the long day ahead of me (us).

The weigh-ins were already underway when I got to the event and brackets were being amended to account for weight changes. By 10:30am, things got started and soon the place filled up with spectators and competitors. Especially in SEA, the lighter brackets brought out the larger numbers while in my weight division, there were about 3-4 of us. Asian guys, eat yer wheaties! My first match was with my buddy Francis from Newbreed Philippines. This was a match that I'd like to describe as sumo-jitsu as it was almost all stand up between two heavy guys, fighting for grips and the take down. At the end, I won by a single advantage 2-1. Francis had beaten me by points at Copa De Hong Kong in the no-gi so I was excited to meet him again on the mat this time around. I feel very fortunate to meet so many cool guys that can fight with so much heart and still be buddies win or lose. This brought me to the finals for the heavy-weight division against another friend, Mathew Jones (Jon). At least in the heavier categories I know almost all the guys competing and we're all good friends. So this was not the first time fighting Jon and taking silver to him a few times before. Which made me pretty hungry to beat him this time around. Not exactly how I had pictued my win but this one was by verbal-submission. Jon had my leg and was setting up for the takedown. I decide to jump to guard, pulling Jon with me. As he collapsed I felt his weight come directly over me, I pinched my knees and pulled his shoulders over, landing in the mount. What I didn't know was that Jon had taken my weight over his knee while it was fully extended and he felt it hyper-extend. He called to stop after I had secured mount and the ref declared the match finished. Jon turned out to be OK and continued to tear it up both in the gi and no-gi.

Next was the blue-belt absolute. My first two matches were no-shows due to them being injurred in previous matches. So my next fight would be with who else but Jon. Determined to make up for the previous loss, this turned out to be another stand-up war. My left ear is pretty jacked up I have to say but thankfully no caulis. The entire match is was just back and forth. I had a hell of a time establishing my grips and defending Jon's shoot for the double and single. If you see us stand side by side, Jon is 1-foot taller than me, hahaha. I need to lose weight and get to a lower division. He's got tremendous pressure and will to win as he fully demonstrated in the no-gi day as well. By the last 30-40 seconds it was still 0-0. He made a final shot and got the take down he wanted. With him in my closed guard, I tried scrambling for the sweep and getting up but time ran out. Jon won 2-0. Next time I'll do better. Oh, and Jon won the blue absolute so congrats to Jon.

This left me to fight for the bronze with, if remember correctly, Murase-san from Axis Jiu-Jitsu (JP). Now this guy was definitely a character with some intensely colored tattoos all over his body. The most prominent one being a portrait of Gandhi over his belly in a neon-green. He later showed me a portrait of Helio Gracie on his right inner-forearm in oranges and reds. Really nice work but that's besides the point. Anyways, I knew he would fake me out for the shoot so I wanted to lay on the pressure fast for the take down. Running him off the mat several times, he finally pulled guard and settled in his half. From open he tried for the cross choke but kept things tight. I did manage a pass, getting the 3 points but he got back up and it started over again. Another scramble and settling to the ground I worked for the same pass, single over and under. If I remember correctly I wanted to shift for a knee-slide but postured too high. He quickly got my arm and secured the armbar. I couldn't roll cause my shoulder and hips were twisted and started to feel my elbow go. I tapped and he won. Had I just chilled out, and played top with his open guard it might have gone differently. For a small guy he's really strong and has very sneaky hooks. It was so difficult to keep him pinned after the pass and that is what brought us back up. Murase-san I believe won his weight division, took the bronze for absolute and faired just the same in the no-gi day as well.

So in between my matches I was MCing the event with the worst mics in the world as they constantly cut-out, rendering them useless unless I was just a few feet away from the PA. Running between the bracket station and the mats. All the while taking pictures for the blog. I believe Lilly from Kylin Jiu-Jitsu has a picture of me in my gi, with microphone in hand, taking a photo of someone's match, haha. I probably resembled a headless chicken, running around calling for competitors to fight. A few hickups here and there but most of them were resolved before the end of the day and got even better for the no-gi day with more help. I have to give a big shout out to Mark 'Vesuvius' Simmerman for his work in organizing the refs, checking the mats for fights as well as competing in both the adults and masters divisions. We all knew that we were doing something for the benefit of the competitors cause that's what we are and couldn't help ourselves but to compete as well. This goes for Sebastien, Niti, Amps, Ing, Tomi, Carlo, Paula, Doe and more. Perhaps a bit more tired for our efforts but well worth it, I think.

We were excited to have a full representation of competitors from white to black-belt. As the larger divisions (white & blue) were finished, more competitors had a chance to watch the purples, browns and blacks. Very impressive performances from Philip Yeomans, Dimitrios Tsitos, Tony Eduardo, Christopher Hermanstad and Malik Mawlayi to name a few. The team from Bahrain brought a very strong element to the competition for all most all belt levels, amping things up a bit. These guys had just competed in the Ramadan tournament with two-days rest before arriving in Bangkok for our tournament. So thank you to Reza's team for making it all the way out here.

The day ended not too late, around 6:30pm. Besides the tournament dinner, there was some time to see the Bangkok nightlife but most guys that were looking to compete the next day called it early.

I had posted earlier that I had taken almost 900 photos that first day and while loading them onto my computer Sunday morning, iphoto crashed and erased the last 100+ pics. So pics of my own fights, the trophies, candids and god knows what else are forever gone. I'm still pissed and my iphoto at home is still crashing as I try to load the no-gi pics. This time around I learned my lesson and kept the originals on the card till the upload was 100% good to go. I'll be working on these pics in the next day or so and post with a link to flickr. You guys are welcome to use these just be sure to give bjj-asia some credit.

Tomorrow is the recap for the no-gi.

SHOUT OUT: NEW PURPLE-BELT

(l to r) Tony Eduardo, Ryan Melchiano & Stanley Tam

I want to give a hearty shout-out to Ryan Melchiano for his great performances this weekend in Bangkok, Thailand. Not only did Ryan represent Shanghai BJJ in the gi-day, taking gold in his weight division, he fought Mike Hutchison (MMA Phuket) in the final MMA exhibition match, winning by TKO.

To top it all off, Tony Eduardo promoted Ryan to purple-belt after the awards ceremony. Congratulations Ryan!

-Luke

COMPETITOR'S TOURNAMENT RECAP

I wanted to share a comment made by one of our competitors this weekend. Traveling all the way from Berkeley, California. It was a real pleasure to meet Michael and I hope to catch up with him when in the US later this Fall. -Luke


Berkeley says:

Great tournament, well run (competitor's point of view), but most importantly I felt welcomed as a visitor from the States and noticed a much higher level of cameradie between teams than is normal at the Pan Ams and Mundials in the States.

Individual fighters fought hard, but the sense of "jiu jitsu unity" was also much in abundance. It was really great to see that. So often in the States the politics overshadow the sense of shared purpose. I'm sure you'll get that (the politics, I mean) in SEA eventually for now it seems like you watch each other's backs, which is the way I think it should be.

I think you will write up some of the injuries that occurred. I didn't see them all, but the ones I saw seemed the result of exuberant athleticism and/or a desire not to tap, even in the face of an impending injury. I didn't see anything that looked mean-spirited (even the "notorious" 9" slam - yes, a whopping NINE INCHES - which was the one "drama moment" of the competition that I witnessed) (the competitor who got dq'd as a result took it very gracefully - after the initial shock and dismay wore off - and went on to turn in some of the best performances in the tournament, at least for those of us watching while waiting for our turn to be called), and the level of "sportsmanship" was very high.

There were two coaches I want to give major props to, and they have totally different styles and personalities.

First, I thought the coach of the Legacy Gym team had the most "heart" of any competitor I have seen (I'm sorry I didn't catch your name). He fought hard, and you could really tell that the "fight" was VERY big in that "dog." He consistently encouraged his team in a quiet but forceful manner from his team's spot on the side of the mats. It's a remarkable aspect of internationalism that this Thailand bjj coach is (if I heard correctly from another Swede) from Sweden, which apparently has some sick jiu jitsu and some tough fighters.

The other coach that impressed me was Ray Elbe. He was totally supportive of each and every one of his competitors, and Tiger Muay Thai sent up 26 people if I got the number right. I think I saw him cornering two of his competitors at the same time at one point. His voice never gave out. He gave every ounce of his energy to support his players, and each and he was always upbeat and positive. I've never seen a coach give so much as a corner man to so many competitors.

While it's impossible to give a quick overall impression of the two days from an "outsider's perspective," I'll bravely take a shot, since I'm sure you are all secretly curious what "foreigners" think of bjj in SEA. On the gi day, for the most part white belts looked like white belts, blue belts looked like blue belts, and purple belts looked like purple belts. In short, what you SHOULD expect but actually seldom see in the States, at least at big tournaments where the white belts often look more like blue belts and the blue belts look downright dangerous (I can't say look like purples, because purples always have a "flow" to them that the aggro blue belts, however effective, don't have) (and the aggro level of competition that I've seen in California is why I'm biding my time as a "senior" (as in old, not experience) blue belt until I have more bjj experience before I drop down to the "adult" division (I got to compete in both adult and masters at your tourney). The athleticism at US competitions borders on aggro.

On the other hand, imho the no gi level of competition is a definite level higher than what I've seen in California, either at non-IBJJF competitions like Best of the West or at the Mundials No Gi. Maybe that's a function of the focus in SEA on no gi for MMA, and the dedication of the type of participants in the MMA/Muy Thai camps out here, but this spectator/competitor was seriously impressed, to the point where I've realized at my age I'm never going to have what it takes to excel at no gi. Well, back to the gi drawing board for me (but I'll keep up my no gi classes because, truth be told, I like no gi better than gi). I think SEA can put it's no gi people up against the best in the world, year matched against year of experience. You guys really need to pop for the airfare and "represent" at the Mundials No Gi etc. (hint, hint)

Thanks a lot Mark & Luke & Nitti, I sure hope to see you next year and you (and the other new friends I made) should look me up in the Ralph Gracie Berkeley Academy if you make it to NorCal. A hearty welcome and good training partners is guaranteed!

-Michael

BJJ-ASIA: 1 YEAR OLD

This past Saturday (Sept. 27) marked 1 full year BJJ-ASIA has been up and running. In that time I've met so many cool and interesting people from all over Southeast Asia. I really believe we have a unique and positive community here and it's reflected by the people that came to compete this weekend. Everyone came to compete and fight hard but we're all friends at the same time.

Thank you all for your support and participation. It's been a great year and looking forward to the next.

-Luke

CALENDAR UPDATE: FALL 2008

OCTOBER
(TBA) Team Fabrico Nationals (PH)
*inner-club competition

(5) Gustavo Machado Seminar (SG)
-GI: 2-4pm, NO-GI: 4-6pm
-contact: kreationjits@hotmail.com

(12) Roll-A-Palooza: novice no-gi (PH)
*more info to come
*Martial Arts Center, Loyola
Schools P.E. Department, Ateneo de Manila University, Katipunan
Avenue, Loyola Heights, Quezon City, Philippines

(25-26) Dominacao Absoluta (Manila, PH)
*Sponsored by: Level-up Games and FOKAI Industries
*Mike Fowler seminar: Ateneo Judo Dojo, Oct. 24th
*Steve Robert seminar: Ateneo Judo Dojo, Oct. 25th

(25-26) Japan Open Championships (Budokan in Aichi Prefecture, JP)

NOVEMBER
(2) Makoto Ikuta seminar (Hong Kong)
-venue: Kowloon Jiu-Jitsu
-http://www.kln-bjj.com/CCP.html

(8-9) Gracie Barra BJJ seminar (Singapore)
-venue: Fightworks Asia Gym
-contact: fightworksasia@gmail.com

(9) 9th All Korean BJJ Championship
*location: dobong-gu 'dobong middle school Gymnasium', seoul-city, Korea
*contact: ★ ☞ +82-16-673-5782 tkks2@hanmail.net

(15) Beijing Grappling Tournament (China)
*location: Beijing BJJ Academy
*contact: pedroschmall@hotmail.com

(14-16) Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Camp (Malaysia)
* http://escobarbjj.blogspot.com
* 3 black-belts (Chico Mendes, Marcos Escobar, Cristiano Carvalho)

(29-30) 4th Indonesian Submission Championship (Jakarta)(open: gi/no-gi)
*location: Townsquare Cilandak (South Jakarta)
*http://www.townsquare.co.id/

(29-30) Campeonato Asiatico (Tokyo, JP)

DECEMBER
(3) Alexandre Izidro seminar (Phuket, TH)
*info: MMA Phuket

(6-7) Philippine BJJ International Open Gi & No-Gi (PH)
*Venue : SM Mall of Asia
*BB super-fights
*Registrations and payments due by Wednesday December 10
*info: HERE

(6-10) CMD Singapore Retreat (Singapore)
*@ Kreation JJ
*more info to come

(21) Dumau Kimonos BJJ Japan Cup (Saitama, JP)

2009

JANUARY (2009)
(17) Nevertap Tournament (Phuket, TH)
*no-gi event + seminar
*info: NEVERTAP

(14-22) Renzo Gracie & Rafael 'Gordinho' Correa Seminar (Singapore)
*info: EVOLVE MMA

MARCH
(1) Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championships, Asia Trials (JP)
*info: JJFJ

GRACIE BARRA SEMINAR: SINGAPORE

GRACIE BARRA Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Intensive Training / Seminar

Date: 08th & 09th November 2008

Time: 7:30am - 11:30am & 2:00pm - 6:00pm

Venu: Fightworks Asia Gym - Singapore

Registration Fee: s$160/Participant (Deadline for registration October 20, 2008)

All interested participants call Fightworks Asia at 6285 6028 or email us at fightworksasia@gmail.com.

For more info, please call Mike Durana / 8179 8837

IT'S DONE!!!

Today I decided to not compete as I had originally planned to aid the event by MCing and managing the brackets for the no-gi day. Just having a link between the mats and the head-table made a huge difference and I want to thank everyone for their support and time.

Huge thanks to:
Khun Nid, Anjuna, Joel, Louisa, Tomi, Hiroko, Offer, Greg, Sean, Adam, Carlo, Paulo, Lee, Alex, Yohan, Suzanne, Chieko, Taki, Niti, Mark, Kei, Aramaki-san, Amps, Sebastien, Ing, Morgan, Adam (from HK), Lilly, Boss, Hack, Taichi, trophy-girls, EMAC crew and Ray. If I missed anyone, I am truly sorry but you've all added to the sucess of the this weekend, I'm just exhausted. Thank you!!!

I will write a full report this week but I seriously need to go to bed. Besides those involved, a huge thank you to the teams that came to compete, represent and show their support. Thank you!!!

TEAMS: (alphabetical order)
ALIVE JIU-JITSU (SHANGHAI)
ALIVE JIU-JITSU (SINGAPORE)
AXIS JIU-JITSU
BANGKOK BJJ
BANGKOK FIGHT CLUB
BJJ BORNEO
EMAC
EXTREME AUSTRALIA
FAIRTEX PATTAYA
KDTA
KOWLOON BJJ
KREATION BJJ
KYLIN BJJ
LEGACY GYM
MMA PHUKET
NEWBREED (PHILIPPINES)
RALPH GRACIE (BERKLEY, USA)
REZA'S MARTIAL ARTS CENTER (BAHRAIN)
ROMERIKE BJJ
SHANGHAI BJJ
SYNERGY JIU-JITSU
TAIWAN BJJ

If I miss your team, I apologize. Please let me know and I'll add it to the list. If I don't have a link, I'll work on it. I must look like crap cause a lot of people made the comment that I looked tired. I am going to sleep now. Will post pics, details, updates all this week. I will say that it was a great turnout with some awesome matches with action-packed MMA fights.

TEAM AWARDS:

GI:
1. Bangkok BJJ (combined teams of EMAC, BFC & BKK/BJJ)
2. MMA Phuket
3. Reza's Martial Arts Center (Bahrain)

NO-GI
1. MMA Phuket
2. Bangkok BJJ (combined teams of EMAC, BFC & BKK/BJJ)
3. Reza's Martial Arts Center (Bahrain)


MOST TECHNICAL FIGHTER:

GI:
DIMITRIOS TSITOS

NO-GI:
TONY EDUARDO

BANGKOK TOURNAMENT: DAY 2

***Please help by e-mailing me pics of the awards/trophy and team shots so I can post them. My computer for some reason f*#ked up when it was loading the photos and ate/erased the last 100 or so pics. I'm sorry guys, all the award photos + pictures of my own matches are now gone.***

It's about 7:30am, the second half of the tournament weekend with the no-gi and exhibition MMA matches to come. I'm a little more coherent than last night but also feeling a bit beat-up. I can see with each tournament I attend the level of competition is getting better and with more teams participating, it's made for quite an exciting day.

I took well over 800 photos and will be posting them after the tournamnet is done. Uploading them now to my computer. I'm sure today will be another 800, haha.

Thank you to everyone that attended last nights dinner and hopefully tonight we'll have a few beers to celebrate. -Luke

BANGKOK TOURNAMENT: DAY 1

What can I say? Today was a tough day for sure as it was our first tournament with this group and I'd admit that we did pretty well, haha. I might second judge the idea of organizing an event + competing but it's all good. I really believe it was a great time had by all.

Meeting even more people from the scene and catching up with what's going on outside of Thailand, bro, mad love for the SEA jiu-jitsu community.

More to come.

-Luke

BANGKOK TOURNAMENT SETUP

Just got home from the tournament setup at Future Mart. It's 11:35pm. I smell and need to sleep, haha. Anyways, it was a great turn out of friends and teammates to give a helping hand with laying out the mats, banners and warm-up/resting area. Thanks guys and see you tomorrow morning! -Luke

COME AND GET IT!

MMACHINA.COM: 'BLOOD' HAS ARRIVED

Check out the announcement of Vaughn "Blood" Anderson's arrival to
Beijing and the AOW roster. Vaughn recently was awarded his purple-belt in jiu-jitsu from Andy Wang, leaving his buddies at Taiwan BJJ to pursue his MMA career.

http://www.mmachina.com:81/en/?q=node/1253

BANGKOK TOURNAMENT: EVE OF THE COMP

It's Friday and preparations are underway at the Future Mart for the tournament this weekend. A group of us will be hauling mats and setting up later this evening and competing the next day! You'll also be seeing us on the mat competing with the rest of you cause we just can't help ourselves. I'll be taking pics of the event as best I can in addition the professional photographers that will be on-sight. I will do my best to post this weekend but at best, it'll probably be a quick blurb and will have to wait till later in the week.

A totally new-found respect for the guys that have put such an event together before us. It's a huge undertaking but it's all for the benefit of the scene and you guys, the competitors. This event is with the competitors first, in mind. Everything from online-registration, free rashguard, custom designed medals (which by the way look great and are substantially hefty), qualified referees, media coverage, discounted hotel stay, Saturday night dinner, free transportation, and a great city with insane nightlife! OK, that last part we just lucked out on, hehe.

Feel free to introduce yourself and say hi. It's always fun to meet and makes friends. I'll be the Asian guy running around like a headless chicken, haha.

Luke

YOUR COMMUNITY: PART 6

I know I said that I would eventually post my own responses to the questions I had put out earlier but with all the feedback I've received so far, I think it would come off sounding like a broken-record. I would like to comment on a few points that I think are key as well as some more questions for those involved in the bigger picture of what BJJ can/will become in Southeast Asia.

INSTRUCTION
One of the most consistent comments made had to be the lack of instruction or long term stay of a qualified instructor. In most cases black-belts come and go depending on what kind of visa/work situation they can secure. Some instructors travel from location to location seeking employment while others by circumstance due to their job relocating him/her to that city and by default, teaches jiu-jitsu. So in this case there is the professional fighter/instructor and then there's the 'regular-guy-who-is-a-bjj-black-belt-with-a-regular-job-who-teaches-bjj-for-fun-but-not-as-a-fulltime-job'. My point here is that with the two different cases, comes two difference scenarios that effect the club/academies ability to pay and support said instructor.

Because circumstance brings the 'regular-guy-black-belt' to your town, his/her expenses and costs are much different than the traveling fighter/instructor that requires housing, salary and amenities (all of which would technically be supported by the student fees collected). Yet that doesn't account for the schools rent, electrical bills, etc. I'll admit to being spoiled when it comes to living in SEA cause things are relatively inexpensive here, depending on the kind of lifestyle you wish to live. With that said the cost of living is not nearly as high as it is in the US or other parts of Asia like Japan, Hong Kong, or Korea. So the income made from student fees is quite low and most of this goes to rent and electricity. Most often the instructors that come through treat it more or less like an extended vacation where enough money is made to live (there) but probably not enough for any substantial savings. Some have come to Thailand because they have interest in training Muay Thai during the day and then teach at night in order to subsidize their living expenses. So this combination has worked relatively well for the camps outside of Bangkok that offer cross-training but at the same time, the students tend to be a rotating cast of expats and tourists looking for a training holiday.

So what happens to the local guys that are here to stay, wanting more than what's available to them cause the scene has yet to produce a large enough body of higher-ranked belts. The number of brown-belts are coming up but I'd say there are still far more blues and then a growing number of purples now. The scene is young and these thing will come in due time but we're all faced with that challenge of securing quality instruction.

ENVIRONMENT
It is also quite common for clubs to change locations for a number of reasons. The number of students can directly effect the ability to pay rent. Sometimes when training in a shared space with another martial-arts group there can be a conflict of interest or without the proper financial support, the classes are held guerilla-style in whatever space is available. The less consistent the training space is, the more adjustment and discomfort is then placed on the beginner and casual student. The hardcore guys will train whenever and wherever but how many of you are the hardcore bjj guys? In a given club, I usually count 3, maybe 5, that are just diehard jiu-jitsu guys that at times will compromise their day-job in order to train more, haha. So this demographic doesn't count for larger part of the club's income. It's your '2nd home' where familiarity is a must in the weekly routine of coming off from work and leaving the outside world where it belongs, outside. As much as you build a familial bond with your teammates, there is also a connection the space in were you've invested so much of your time. Where I train, we bow in and bow out as show of respect to the people you've trained with, the instructor you've entrusted to teach you and the space that you've shared with others. Now I know BJJ is one of the more casual of the martial arts but gestures like this still mean something and it's something that I see done all over the world.

ORGANIZATION
Similar to how consistency and familiarity is important to the environment of training, having an organized schedule and support system within the club is equally important. With an exception of a few clubs that I've visited, I would say that it's a paid service and a like all activities that you pay for, you expect a certain level of professionalism. This can range from classes starting on time, the instructor is present before and after class or people are properly informed as to any schedule changes, etc. In the cases where a black-belt instructor is not available and lessons are left to the blue/purple-belts the circumstance have changed but the expectations shouldn't. A lesson or technique in mind that is relevent to the students' level and overall program is most necessary. Especially for the beginner, things can be quite overwhelming when explaining a technique like 'armdrag from open-guard to take the back to bow'n'arrow choke. I've been to classes where the instructor, while a very accomplished grappler, explains the technique but is not aware that some students just have a 'what the f#*k' expression on their face. Personally I really enjoy teaching and take the time to research for myself different options from techniques that I am working on for my own game. I enjoy just as much in my ability to execute a move as I see in others, knowing they've really put themselves to the task of getting better. While I am not a master of jiu-jitsu, I do feel comfortable enough in sharing what I do know to help others find that 'light-bulb' of awareness and feeling of accomplishment. I know it sounds geeky but I get a kind of high from seeing the newbies fall in love with jiu-jitsu after struggling so much those first few months. So organized in both the management of the school as well as the direction of the class and its students.

UNITY/COOPERATION
This is where it gets a little tricky and let me preface this by saying that I am extremely proud of the SEA BJJ community. I've made this comment before that I believe the SEA scene to be young and with some growing pains to experience as we move from a handful of clubs/academies to a substantial community of practitioners. Everyone is trying to survive and provide the right elements to attract more students and awareness of BJJ. Which is great and is why in a given year, the number of tournaments has increased significantly. At the same time, I notice that within a given community, not all are there to support by participation, aid or acknowledgement. Which I must say is a hard pill to swallow for those that have taken it upon themselves to produce an event for healthy competition. Nurture your scene because it's only by having that exchange that you really get to push yourself and the people around you to improve. To not participate or support is really just hurting yourself. It will take a little bit from each group but that little bit is going to the greater good.

I'm sure there are personal conflicts to be heard but don't let someone else's problems become your own. I have never been one to take on someone else's hate/disrespect for a person/group I have never met or gotten to know in person. It just doesn't feel right to me. There's always two sides to the story.

I had an interesting conversation with a brown-belt at the Cope De Hong Kong this past April and it's something that has stuck with me since then. I had shared with the group that I was planning on opening a school that would be non-affiliated to avoid any politics involved with representing a single school. The brown-belt asked me, "So what are you going to do when you're given your brown-belt?" To be honest, before that point I hadn't given that issue any thought. Perhaps as a blue-belt, who cares about what I do but as a brown or even a black-belt, what then? I'm sure with those rankings come responsibility but again it's a decision that I have to make for myself. I can choose to train under someone who understands my interest of being politics-free while still representing the source of my knowledge. I may not gain the affiliate support and name recognition for being a 'X' black-belt but I would trade that off for the support and recognition of the greater jiu-jitsu community. I know this may sound very idealistic but it's what I am working towards.

A good friend shared with me some words that I quite like. "You don't give grief to others but sure as hell don't take it either."

NETWORK/SUPPORT
When I make reference to a greater body of practitioners which is where we're headed, it makes me think about the level of organization involved to help make things standardized and consistent, especially in competition.

Today, you really have to be aware of the rules cause in each comp, they're different. From being penalized for pulling guard in a no-gi touranment versus what kind types of footlock are allowed and at what level. These have gone through several changes from comp to comp and in each area of SEA. I know most comps reference IBJJF rules but there's always the slight change and depending on the ref (which by the way is another article unto itself) things can go either way.

What are the benefits of being affiliated by the way? What level of support are we talking about? What is required in the way of support to make these things happen in SEA? In earlier posts with comments given by instructors and practitioners there some ideas come up that I think are worth looking into.

Ralph Go (Newbreed Philippines)
A very good suggestion from my friend Roman de la cruz of Fokai o, is that we could set up a sort of Southeast asian or BJJ-asia jiu jitsu federation in our region. in where all countries have a voice and contribute to the development of bjj in the region. If X club needs a black belt or a brown belt then maybe they can just contact the federation to help them set up seminars etc etc. Also instead of just dealing with X from philippines or Y from Thailand they would deal with the federation instead. maybe even compete and represent bjj-asia in competitions overseas. just popping out ideas.

Vince Choo (KDTA Malaysia)
Perhaps set up regional seminars, competitions, leagues and teams. BJJ is popularized in the Americas via competition and the same can be said for the Far Eastern countries like S. Korea and Japan. Why not in S.E. Asia?

Phil Denzau (Tinguinha Thailand)
Another thing is potentially free workshops and seminars at other martial arts schools or somehow link up with other martial arts programs to draw interest in for people already participating in martial arts, but not BJJ.

Henry Chan (Bracie Barra Hong Kong)
To spread the Art in hongkong would be the commitment of a few individual whom are really interested in spreading the Art, in due course, such few individuals will grow into a bigger community.

Warren Wang (Taiwan BJJ)
Through more interaction and mutual respect, I am confident the SEA grappling community will grow.... Regardless of how and what everyone does, the fact that people are doing something, good or bad, right or wrong, will inevitably put SEA BJJ on the map. Hence the influx of black-belts to Asia now. With more recognition globally and everyone's efforts, interests in BJJ will for sure catch on.

These are all some great comments from the people directly involved with the scene. As things develop I think we need to keep ideas like these in mind and work towards a collaborative mindset to make things really happen.

-Luke

YOUR COMMUNITY: PART 5

Having just visited Taipei for their tournament a few weeks back, I got to hang out with Warren from Taiwan BJJ and talk about the scene there. The community and school they've built for themselves is a true labor of love for jiu-jitsu. I had a great time there and hope to visit soon for some training. Thanks -Luke

from: Warren Wang

1. What did it take for the scene to grow to the point that it is now?
I think the main things are stability and consistency. Meaning, having consistent instructors and training sessions, and having more or less a club house for the members to hang out at.
Taiwan BJJ went through different stages before it became what it is now. In 2003, a small club consisted of me and Vaughn Anderson started in Taichung. A couple months later I was asked to teach a group of guys in Taipei on the weekends. I remembered the first couple classes were taught on ceramic tiles. A couple months later, the classes got to be 20-30 guys, so we needed more help. That's when we invited Andy Wang to come to Taiwan and the Taipei BJJ academy was set up between him and a handful of guys. I think Andy might of been one of the first black belts to visit Asia (outside of japan and Australia). Again with consistent instructions and dedication the club grew, at one time, i remember him saying there were 70 guys on the roster. Andy encouraged us to train and compete, so for those two years that he was with us we competed and did well in the tournaments around SEA. Things have been crazy since he left 4 years ago. That's when everything fell apart. The classes were continued at community centers and later at a karate dojo. Without consistent instructions and a place for the guys to call their "second home", the main group of guys stayed but then we weren't able to retain any new members. It wasn't until about 2 years ago, when some guys got enough money together to start a new school and with everyone's help and unselfish inputs to the club, Taiwan BJJ continues to grow. So despite all the ups and downs during these periods, friendship, club stability and consistency of instructors whether it'd be guest instructors or just a blue/purple belt leading class are the keys to a school.

As for the growth of BJJ scene in Taiwan, it's been pretty tough. There are 2 other legit BJJ schools on the island, I'm sure they went through just as much headaches as I have. It's been tough to get local guys to be involved. More interests are placed on the traditional martial arts like TKD, Karate, and Judo. We've tried to spread BJJ to the Judo community, however, they've been reluctant up until now. (because now we have an 8th degree judo-ka at the school and he has been very active in bringing BJJ to the local community)

It took a lot of support from everyone involved. From the guys that first walk into a school, guys that's been around for a while, and guys from the rest of SEA grappling community, everyone is always so willing to put the time, effort, and money into sharing and expanding BJJ. Each school continue to do what they think is right, we don't all have to be on the same boat with the same goals or ideals, but regardless of all troubles and the politics, more and more people will start to train, and that is what we all want.

2. What were some of the challenges and hardships?
I think the toughest part is worrying about the stability and consistency of instructors. Unlike many other schools now is SEA, we have not had a resident black belt instructor since Andy left. We've had several guest instructors stay for periods of 2 months but other then that, I am always trying to find a way for the guys to have consistent instructions. Of course, balancing the bills for the club and the guest instructors is also quite difficult. Getting local acceptance has been quite difficult as well, because most BJJ clubs in Taiwan consists mainly of non-locals and the classes are all conducted in English, which can be quite difficult of local guys to accept or feel comfortable in the beginning. Lastly, is all the bullshit and petty politics that we have to deal with sometimes. We train because we love BJJ and the great friendships that's been formed from it, but to get threats by previous visiting black belt is a different story.

3. How can we continue to grow and expand the community of BJJ?
Through more interaction and mutual respect, I am confident the SEA grappling community will grow. With guys like yourself unselfishly giving so much of your time, effort, and energy SEA BJJ will no doubt expand. Regardless of how and what everyone does, the fact that people are doing something, good or bad, right or wrong, will inevitably put SEA BJJ on the map. Hence the influx of black-belts to Asia now. With more recognition globally and everyone's efforts, interests in BJJ will for sure catch on.

"UFC on its way to Philippines in 2009"

from: GRACIE MAG

The excitement Chuck Liddell’s visit to the Philippines inspired could be a sign the UFC will spread its wings over the planet even more. The possibility of an event taking place in the country in mid 2009 was leaked by the UFC’s own site. According to the bulletin, more than four thousand people went to watch the Iceman train at a mall in Pasay.

This was not the first time a UFC idol received special treatment from the Philippine people. Last month Brandon Vera visited the country and just like Liddell drew thousands of fans to his training sessions.

According to information from the UFC itself, the event in the Philippines should bring together local athletes and well-known stars from the American scene. Should their popularity be taken into account, Liddell and Vera should be among those called up.

WOMEN IN BJJ

I've been meaning to follow up on a list of blogs/journals that I read quite regularly since our last post from Jem Wright. Since then, a number of interviews with female BJJ practitioners have come out, particularly on the Fightworks Podcast. Especially with the tournament we're organizing here in Bangkok, we've received numerous requests as to how many female competitors have registered. It's a big investment to make for any competitor but imagine traveling overseas in hopes of just matching up with just a single competitor in your division. I know the women in this sport take it just as seriously as the men and are ready to put themselves on the mat and give it their best. We now have three women training at EMAC and it's exciting to see them prepare for the tournament.

Here's a list of blogs/interviews to check out.

Valerie Worthington
http://www.bjjvisionquest2006.blogspot.com/

Felicia Oh
http://feliciaoh.blogspot.com/

Megu Fujii
http://megulog.exblog.jp/

Miku
http://blog.livedoor.jp/mongkong/

Roxanne Modafferi
http://www